# Games Lost By a MAJOR, Bone-Headed Blunder **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 4, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079 "2013-11-04T18:32:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/61 "2013-11-06T17:39:11Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Is there a clip that hasn’t been butchered? (I hate it when people think they can improve a video by hamfistedly editing in a lame caption.) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/yVEsetoO2B0/hqdefault.jpg "Indy 500 Finish: JR Hildebrand crash on last lap of Indianapolis 500") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVEsetoO2B0) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/62 "2013-11-06T18:40:30Z")
1982 NCAA basketball championship game. With 10 seconds left and down by 1, Georgetown’s Fred Brown makes a perfect pass to non-teammate James Worthy which basically clinches the game for North Carolina. 1992 NCAA basketball regional final between Duke and Kentucky aka “The Greatest Game Ever Played”. To this day Pitino still says it was a mistake to not cover the inbound pass giving Grant Hill a clear lane to Christian Laettner who made “the shot”. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/63 "2013-11-06T19:10:24Z")
I somehow forgot to mention that the Rick Barry non-shot pout occurred during the Western Conference Finals, game 7, and his non-shooting cost GSW a slot in the Finals. Barry later blamed teammate Clifford Ray for the loss. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/64 "2013-11-06T19:53:48Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > The story came out that McNamara wanted Buckner to be on the field for the celebration of winning the Series, in recognition of his contributions. The odds that he’d actually muff the winning play were minuscule. I won’t call that a boner on McNamara’s part. Still, he let sentiment get in the way of winning! There was an 11% chance Buckner would have to field a ball, too much risk IMO. (Yes I’m a Bostonian who’s still bitter about it, why do you ask) ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/65 "2013-11-06T20:12:43Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > In 1976, the Golden State Warriors lost to the Phoenix Suns when GSW’s best player, Rick Barry, stopped shooting for over a quarter in the second half [because he was pouting](http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19761008&id=LuVVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4OADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6816,1929178) that his teammates did not come to his defense in a 1st quarter fight he had with Rickey Sobers. > > And, really… [they didn’t.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uxyYkNCNUM) The video isn’t that great, but you can see a lot of yellow-shirted players (Barry’s teammates) just standing around. > > In related news, Barry wore a wig throughout the 1976 season and was probably the single most disliked NBA player (by his peers) of his era. I heard an interview with Barry on the radio a few years back. I was having trouble believing he was saying some of the things that were coming out of his mouth. Basically, dissing every good player of his time, complaining about players today, and hinting darkly at conspiracies not allowing him to be an NBA coach. I remember him as a terrific player and an amazing free throw shooter, but after that interview I could only shake my head. Know what, Rick? We don’t need to posit a conspiracy to explain why you never were asked to coach anybody! ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/66 "2013-11-06T20:15:43Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > In any major sport, what are some examples where the game was lost because of an utterly boneheaded move that could have been avoided? Stretching this a bit, but I’ll say the NY Giants winning Super Bowl 43 was taken away by Plaxico Burress’ boneheaded move of [shooting himself in the leg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaxico_Burress#Accidental_shooting). The Giants were the defending champions and they were steamrolled out to an 11-1 record with very few games being at all close. Burress shot himself, the Giants lost three of their last four and were taken out in their first playoff game by what should have been an easily beatable Eagles squad. Seeing pictures of Plax in sweatpants gives me the same feeling that I imagine Patriots fans get seeing pictures of Eli on a football field. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/67 "2013-11-06T20:21:24Z")
> [@Andrew\_21](#): > > Could that have been San Francisco vs. Cincinnati in [1987](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hail_Mary_passes_in_American_football)? > > “Leading 26–20, with 0:06 remaining, Bengals coach Sam Wyche inexplicably called a 4th-down running play instead of a punt. The 49ers stopped the runner with :02 seconds left, giving them possession and a stopped game clock (a de facto time out due to the Bengals’ losing the ball on downs). On the game’s final play, 49ers quarterback Joe Montana threw a touchdown pass to Jerry Rice as time expired, giving San Francisco a 27–26 win.” That’s the one - thanks for the details. I was pretty sure it was Montana throwing the game-winner for the 49ers. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/68 "2013-11-06T20:35:37Z")
Sorry for the consecutive posts - I missed the edit window > [@Shoeless](#): > > Has anyone mentioned the 1993 National Championship game? Michigan is down by two and Chris Webber calls time out, except Michigan has no more time outs, so a technical foul is called. North Carolina gets two free throws and the ball, icing the win. Something similar happened in the following year’s tournament - I can’t remember which team (I want to say Michigan did it again, but I also think it was in an early round, and Michigan made it to the final 8), and it probably didn’t affect the final result, but a player called an excessive time out because his team had scored a basket with less than 5 seconds left and was still behind, so he called a time out, knowing they didn’t have any, in order to prevent the other team from just letting the clock run out. It’s a blunder because 1994 was the first year the clock stopped in college basketball after a basket in the final minute. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/69 "2013-11-06T20:45:11Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Still, he let sentiment get in the way of winning! There was an 11% chance Buckner would have to field a ball, too much risk IMO. (Yes I’m a Bostonian who’s still bitter about it, why do you ask) How the heck do you get this statistic? Are you thinking, 9 defensive players so 1/9 = 11%? But there are three outs in an inning and presumably you’d take Buckner out for at least one full inning making the probability he’d have to field a grounder 33%. But of course It’s not equally likely that every fielder gets the ball hit to him. Catchers get much less than 1/9 assuming you don’t count them “fielding” each pitch and many more if you do. I’d guess based on many years of watching, the 1B-men get much below 1/9 of all balls put in play hit to them. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/70 "2013-11-06T20:49:10Z")
Yup, I meant 1 in 9 chance. You’re obviously right catchers rarely make fielding plays. Can I still be bitter? 😃 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/71 "2013-11-06T20:50:33Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Texas A&M vs Cal, 1982 - this one actually had two blunders. First, with the game tied, Cal makes a chip-shot field goal with about 2 minutes left in the game, but A&M got called for roughing the kicker, and Cal coach Joe Kapp (in his first game as coach) decides to take the penalty (and put the ball first and goal at about the 2-yard line) instead of the points - and the Cal QB fumbles the ball away - only for A&M to try a handoff in the endzone two plays later, and Ron Rivera would tackle the ball carrier for a safety; Cal ends up winning by 2. Wow, that’s obscure! You must be a fan. Every football coach has the phrase “never take points off the board” tattooed on his arm. Given this play, and the “Wrong Way Riegels” play described above, one would think that Cal would have used up a century’s worth of bizarre outcomes. You would be wrong. Behold the marvel of [The Play.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfebpLfAt8g) ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/72 "2013-11-06T20:55:36Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Probably the most tragic blunder would be Andrés Escobar scoring on his own goal in the [1994 World Cup](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFjke_ahBYY). That goal may very well have been the cause of Escobars’ murder shortly after the event. Things’ like this are not bonehead plays; they are just poor or in some cases unlucky execution. A bonehead play is one when a player is trying to do something, he should not even be trying to do. These are things like showboating, forgetting how many outs there are in baseball and running or not. My own example is relatively minor in importance, but monumentally stupid, IMO. It dates back to basketball before 3 point shots were in the rules. A team (probably Ohio State based on where and when I was watching and my remembered father’s reaction) was up by three points with 1 second on the clock. The other team had the ball out of bounds under the basket they were shooting at with a time-out. The TV announcers carefully explained they had to inbound the ball and hope to make a basket while being fouled in the act of shooting. I remember telling my father that this was stupid, the other team should simply let them shoot. This was obvious to me at age 8-10. But, of course, it was exactly what happened. The game was tied, and my father turned off the TV in disgust. I don’t know who won the game in overtime. ---
**Author:** ![Intelligently\_Designed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intelligently_designed/32/20957_2.png) [@Intelligently\_Designed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intelligently_Designed)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/73 "2013-11-07T00:38:07Z")
In the 1993 Stanley Cup finals between the Los Angeles Kings and Montreal Canadiens, L.A. won Game 1 in Montreal and was leading 2-1 in Game 2 with less than two minutes to play. Then the Canadiens asked that the Kings’ Marty McSorley’s stick be measured. [The curve of the blade was found to be illegal](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db1yT0poyys) and McSorley was assessed a minor penalty, during which the Habs scored. Montreal won later in overtime. So rather than go back home with a 2-0 lead, the Kings were at 1-1. They lost the next three games, the Canadiens won the Cup and many say that McSorley’s failure to properly measure his stick before the game turned the series around. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/74 "2013-11-07T00:39:24Z")
Sydney Rugby League 1992 round 14 Canterbury Bankstown v Newcastle Canterbury were trailing 12-10 with the clock running down. They had possession, were in very good field position, all the momentum and their home crowd roaring them on for the win. It seemed almost inevitiable that Newcastle would be run over in the dying seconds. Then in a classic brain explosion Canterbury captain Terry Lamb kicked a field goal (worth 1 point) and handed possession back to Newcastle who closed down the game. Only time I’ve heard the Belmore crowd go silent. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/75 "2013-11-07T06:57:37Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > Another game very similar to the OP’s scenario happened in an SEC game between Tennessee and Arkansas in 1998. Arkansas had a late lead and just had to take a knee, but they decided to run a real play, and the QB fumbled. Tennessee scored a touchdown a few plays later and would end up winning the national championship. Actually, I believe Arkansas needed to get a first down before they could kneel to run the clock out. There was too much time left on the clock to just kneel and win the game. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/76 "2013-11-07T20:38:04Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Wow, that’s obscure! You must be a fan. > Every football coach has the phrase “never take points off the board” tattooed on his arm. > > Given this play, and the “Wrong Way Riegels” play described above, one would think that Cal would have used up a century’s worth of bizarre outcomes. You would be wrong. Behold the marvel of [The Play.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfebpLfAt8g) The game in question was during my junior year at Cal, and I was listening to it on the radio. Oh, and not only was I there for “The Play” (I call it “The Big Play,” mainly because that’s what the T-shirts sold soon after the game said - the Cal-Stanford game is known as “The Big Game”, and in fact the schools threated to sue the NFL for trying to trademark the term so no one could use it to refer to the Super Bowl), but I had a 50-yard-line seat (Cal’s student section is general admission, and after getting a terrible seat for the game two years before that, I got there as early as possible - 3 hours before kickoff - to get a good seat), and no, I did not leave four seconds early (after Stanford’s go-ahead field goal). ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/77 "2013-11-07T20:49:10Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > Not exactly the OP, since it didn’t clearly change the game from a win to a loss, but since it was recent: Game 4 of the 2013 World Series. Yep. Immediately prior to the pickoff Boston’s win expectancy was over 97%. While it contributed to the loss statistically it contributed less than Carpenter’s pop out in the previous at bat. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/78 "2013-11-07T20:52:24Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > The game in question was during my junior year at Cal, and I was listening to it on the radio. > > Oh, and not only was I there for “The Play” (I call it “The Big Play,” mainly because that’s what the T-shirts sold soon after the game said - the Cal-Stanford game is known as “The Big Game”, and in fact the schools threated to sue the NFL for trying to trademark the term so no one could use it to refer to the Super Bowl), but I had a 50-yard-line seat (Cal’s student section is general admission, and after getting a terrible seat for the game two years before that, I got there as early as possible - 3 hours before kickoff - to get a good seat), and no, I did not leave four seconds early (after Stanford’s go-ahead field goal). Go Bears! Beat the Trojans! (I was in section EE for The Play) An obscure bone-headed play that will forever be branded in the minds of Cal fans, is the end of the Cal -Oregon State game of 2007. With time running out, Cal down by 3 points and no time outs left, the Cal QB (a backup playing his first game) had to either get an easy completion in the end zone for the win, or throw the ball away (stopping the clock and allowing the field goal team to get on for a chip-shot that would tie the game and send it into overtime). The QB inexplicably tried to run for the end zone. Was tackled far short, and time expired as the FG unit was running onto the field, and the Cal head coach slams his clipboard into the turf in frustration. Adding to the pain: entering the game, Cal was #3 in the country. During the game, we heard that #1 and #2 had both lost. In the minds of Cal fans, that QB’s mistake cost us what would have been Cal’s only #1 ranking of the past 60 years. ---
**Author:** ![Moonchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@Moonchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonchild)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/79 "2013-11-07T22:08:23Z")
> [@Human\_Action](#): > > 1984 NBA Finals, Game 2. With the game tied and 13 seconds left, the Lakers inbound the ball the Magic Johnson. Johnson either loses track of time or is unable to make a decision, [dribbling out the clock](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ1bd2g3p1Y) without a shot or a pass until time had expired. The Lakers lose in overtime, and go on to lose the series. Close. That was game 4, actually. I’m pretty sure it was a case of Magic not able to make a decision. Not a guarantee the Lakers would have scored, but I’d have preferred a skyhook from Kareem, just the same. Game 2, however, the Lakers led in the closing seconds, had the game all but won… until James Worthy tried an ill-advised cross-court pass that was stolen by Gerald Henderson and converted for a layup to send the game into overtime – which the Celtics won. Darkest of days for this Lakers fan. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2013, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079/80 "2013-11-07T22:29:49Z")
Re Buckner in the '86 Series: the Sox had already blown the lead. Had Buckner made the play, the game would have gone to the 11th inning. Certainly better than losing, but Buckner was not the sole reason for that loss. As far as McNamara’s decision making goes, it was probably more of a mistake to leave Schiraldi in for a third inning than it was to leave Buckner in. And as far as leaving the pitcher in, has anyone mentioned Grady Little and Pedro Martinez? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-lost-by-a-major-bone-headed-blunder/673079.md?page=5)